Broken Melody
by cbris-writes
Summary: Tumblr prompt: Beca upset Chloe and thinks she's messed everything up... At some point Beca plays piano and sings 'River' by Joni Mitchell in the rehearsal space but doesn't realize that Chloe and Aubrey hear it.


Beca sat stoically at her desk, her eyes glued to her laptop as she tuned her screaming girlfriend out while she attempted to work on her mixes. It was their third fight in less than a week, and to be quite honest Beca didn't even know what they were fighting over anymore. Her fingers flitted over the keyboard, working effortlessly as Chloe continued to yell at her.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Beca?" Chloe shouted, slamming the younger woman's laptop shut. "You can't even bother yourself to listen to what I have to say? What is the matter with you?"

"Are you done yet? I was sort of in the middle of something," Beca replied, a slight annoyance in her tone. Chloe's jaw dropped, her eyes wide with shock at the DJ's audacity.

"You know what? Yes. I'm done." Chloe turned on her heel and grabbed her purse, slamming the door with surprising force as she walked out of Beca's dorm.

"What did I just do?" Beca muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair. In five short minutes she managed to accomplish the one thing she swore she'd never do: hurt her girlfriend. Grabbing her coat and her bag, she left her room to try and find Chloe.

A couple of hours had passed and Beca ended up in front of the Bellas rehearsal hall. She'd looked everywhere for Chloe, circling the campus numerous times without a single sign of the redhead. With a heavy sigh she let herself into the rehearsal space, dropping her bag near the stage as she sat behind the piano.

"Great job, Mitchell. You really fucked it up this time." Beca's words echoed in the empty space. She tapped down lightly on one of the keys of the piano, the note ringing out as she stared at the instrument. She had taken lessons as a kid but stopped playing when her parents divorced, swearing she never would again. Her fingers moved nimbly across the keys, re-familiarizing themselves with the cool ivory that responded to every touch. She chuckled softly as she realized what she'd begun to play, the irony of the song fitting all too well in the current situation. Continuing her movements, she quietly began to sing._  
It don't snow here, it stays pretty green  
I'm gonna make a lot of money  
And I'm gonna quit this crazy scene.  
I wish I had a river I could skate away on  
_Beca couldn't help but acknowledge how fitting the words were. The song took on a whole new meaning, the lyrics sending a shiver down her spine as she continued on._  
I wish I had a river so long  
I could teach my feet to fly  
Oh, I wish I had a river, I could skate away on  
I made my baby cry._

A single tear slipped down her cheek, her mind completely encompassed by the melody that flowed so smoothly from her lips. Beca was so lost in the music that she didn't notice Aubrey and Chloe walk in on her. The two women froze by the door, both of their jaws dropped in shock at the sight of Beca._  
She tried hard to help me, she put me at ease  
She loved me so naughty, made me weak in the knees.  
I wish I had a river I could skate away on  
I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad_

_I went and lost the best baby I ever had.  
I wish I had a river I could skate away on_

Chloe watched silently, her heart breaking more and more as she realized how much emotion Beca was putting behind the lyrics. She'd never seen the DJ so passionate about a song before, especially from someone who lived and breathed music as if her life depended on it._  
I wish I had a river so long  
I could teach my feet to fly  
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on  
I made my baby say goodbye._

The senior couldn't help but let a few tears escape the corners of her eyes as Beca's voice floated so easily to the higher notes. A chill ran across Chloe's body from the sheer beauty of the noise, unaware her girlfriend was capable of hitting notes so high in her register._  
It's coming near Christmas, they're cuttin down trees  
They're puttin up reindeer and singing song of joy and peace.  
I wish I had a river I could skate away on._

Beca let the last few notes ring out, her eyes cast downward as her shoulders fell in defeat. She closed the top of the piano and rose from her seat, stopping abruptly when she saw Aubrey and Chloe standing by the door.

"How long have you been there?" Beca sputtered.

"I'm gonna leave you guys to it…" Aubrey mumbled, backing away awkwardly through the entrance. Chloe flinched as the sound of the doors closing resonated throughout the room.

"Beca, I didn't—"

"I looked for you everywhere," Beca interrupted, crossing the room towards Chloe.

"I was at your dad's office," the redhead replied timidly, anxious for Beca's reaction. The younger woman simply stood in front of her, wordlessly moving her mouth as she struggled to form a response.

"Please don't be mad, I didn't know what else to do. You just shut down and pushed me away and I don't know why, Beca. I don't know why you keep doing this to me but I want to know because I love you. You're the only thing in my life that makes sense and feels right and I can't just throw that away." By then Chloe had closed the small gap between them and had a firm grip on Beca's hands.

"I'm so sorry, Chlo. I never wanted to shut you out, I swear. I don't know what happened to me back there, I haven't shut down that quickly since my parents' divorce. I never meant to hurt you and I didn't mean for it to end up like this. You're the best thing that has happened to me and I don't think I could forgive myself if I ever messed that up." Beca's voice broke as the salty liquid began to sting her eyes, a few stray tears managing to make their way down her face. Chloe brushed her thumb gently against the brunette's cheek, wiping the water away swiftly before resting her hands on the sides of Beca's face.

"Don't leave me, Chlo."

Chloe kissed Beca lightly, letting her lips linger for a moment before resting her forehead against the smaller woman's.

"I could never."


End file.
